Production, consumption and export of meat in Germany are falling

Germany produced 8.47 million tonnes of MEAT in 2020, down 1.6% (142,000 tonnes) from 2019, according to data released by the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE). In addition, meat exports and consumption of meat products have fallen.

Pork production decreased by 2.4% to 5.11 million tons. The volume of beef output decreased by 2.7% to 1.09 million tons. However, poultry meat production increased by 1.7%, reaching approximately 1.64 million tons. Compared to 2019, animal imports, especially pigs, decreased by 14.8% in 2020, while exports also decreased by 11%.

Trade with other countries has also declined, both in terms of meat supplies and meat products. Thus, import volumes decreased by 7.8% compared to 2019 and amounted to 2.57 million tons. At the same time, exports decreased by 6.5% to 4.01 million tons. BLE analysts indicate that, according to available data, the level of meat supply in Germany in 2020 will be 117.7%, thus maintaining almost the same percentage as in the previous year. The supply level of the various meat sub-sectors is 125%, pork, 94.6% beef and 97.2% poultry meat. The lowest level of supply was recorded - 40% - in the sheep and goat meat sub-sectors.

Meat consumption in Germany has so far declined in three decades, hitting an all-time low in 2020. That is, meat consumption in Germany fell in 2020 to the lowest level ever recorded since German reunification in 1990.

According to a preliminary analysis, in 2020 every German citizen consumed an average of 57.3 kg of meat, that is, 750 grams less than a year earlier (-1.3%). In 1991, the average consumption was 63.9 kg per capita, 11.5% higher than in 2020.

BLE analysts emphasize that over the past 30 years, Germans have reduced pork consumption by an average of 6.7%, reaching 32.8 kg per capita. In the case of beef, the decrease was 4.3 kg and the total per capita consumption was 9.8 kg. However, poultry meat saw an increase of 6 kg (+ 83%) over the same period, to a figure of 13.3 kg per capita.